You've got to feel a bit sorry for Sir Allen Stanford, the Texan-Antiguan patron of West Indian cricket. Last week's Daily Telegraph reported that Sir Allen is being sued by Stanford University for trade mark infringement. The university is concerned that Sir Allen's attempts at trade mark registration involve “intentional and bad faith conduct". The claim also seems to rely on likelihood of confusion. It seems that the university is conscious that Sir Allen wants to introduce cricket to the US and may affect the university's merchandising activities.The IPKat isn't impressed. How can it be bad faith to use your own name? Moreover, he doubts that there is that much advantage for Sir Allen in associating cricket with a US university - our transatlantic cousins are gifted in many ways, but generally not in the relationship between willow and leather.
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